The Delinquent Shimizu-San Sitting Next to Me Came in With Her Hair Dyed Black the Day After I Told My Friend That I Prefer Neat Girl - Oneshot

TN: Hey, Hiraeth here. Just want to let you know that this is not a fanfiction but a Oneshot written by the author (底花).

I’m not sure if it’s going to be the same in the LN ver, but you might want to skip this if you prefer to avoid spoilers.

 

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The Delinquent Shimizu-San Sitting Next to Me Came in With Her Hair Dyed Black the Day After I Told My Friend That I Prefer Neat Girl

 

“Daiki, let’s talk about love.”

“All of a sudden?”

 

It’s after school. My friend Toshiya approached me as I was about to go home.

 

“You know, we’ve been friends since the first grade of high school, but we haven’t talked much about love, have we?”

“Well, it’s true that we haven’t. But I mean, isn’t it something you only talk about secretly with a few guys on a school trip night or something? Besides, Toshiya, don’t you have club activities right now?”

“We’ll get it done before club activities start. Anyway, I want to start talking about love right now.”

 

I’ve given up on voicing my opinion.

In my experience, no one can stop Toshiya if he’s acting like this.

I look around quickly, but few people are left in the classroom after school, and no one seems interested in what we have to say.

The only concern I have is that Shimizu-san is still sitting next to me.

 

Shimizu-san is a famous delinquent at our high school.

Despite the school rules prohibiting dyed hair, Shimizu-san’s hair is completely blond. She’s also a habitual offender of being late and skipping classes.

When teachers scold her, she just stares back at the teachers until they almost look like they’re about to cry.

That’s why, regardless of age, many students are afraid of Shimizu-san.

 

For some reason, I’ve been in the same class as Shimizu-san since our first year.

It’s rare for Shimizu-san to still be in the classroom since she usually leaves right away.

She’s lying face down on her desk, I guess she’s probably asleep.

 

“Quick question, Daiki, is there any girl you like?”

 

While I’m conscious of Shimizu-san, Toshiya asks a pointed question.

Isn’t that the kind of topic you save for the end of a love talk?

Even if I had someone, it would be hard to talk about it here with quite a few people around.

Well, I don’t have anyone I like, though.

 

“There is none. How about you, Toshiya? Do you have someone you like?”

 

I’ll throw the same question back at Toshiya.

Now, he can regret and fret over asking that question earlier.

 

“I like Seto-san.”

 

It was an immediate answer. He did not seem to be bothered at all.

It wasn’t what I expected, but it was an unexpected gain.

To think I’d find out who my friend is interested in this way.

 

“Daiki, if you don’t have someone you like, isn’t there a type of girl you prefer?”

 

Having just revealed his own crush, Toshiya presses further.

Since Toshiya answered the previous question properly, I have to answer this time as well.

 

“Hmm… I wonder. I guess I prefer someone who’s neat.”

“I see. Daiki likes neat girls.”

“Well, yeah.”

 

That was the only thing I could come up with after some thought.

To be precise, it might be more accurate to say that I don’t really like people who dress flashy rather than I like people who are neat and tidy.

 

“Oh, it’s about time I have to go. Let’s continue this tomorrow.”

 

With that, Toshiya hurriedly left the classroom.

Are we going to talk about this again tomorrow? Honestly, I don’t want to talk about it anymore.

As I became slightly depressed about tomorrow, I packed my things into my backpack and left the classroom.

 

☆☆☆

 

The next day, I arrived at the classroom at the usual time and saw someone lying face down on Shimizu-san’s seat.

I say someone because this person had long black hair.

 

Do we have someone with such long black hair in our class?

Shimizu-san has blonde hair, so it can’t be Shimizu-san. If this continues, I don’t know what Shimizu-san might do when she comes later.

I decided to wake up the person sitting in Shimizu-san’s seat, so I lightly tapped her shoulder.

“Hello.”

“Hmm?”

 

It was Shimizu-san…

To be more precise, it was Shimizu-san with jet-black hair.

I’m full of questions about why she dyed her hair black and why she’s coming to school so early today, but for now, I need to think about the reason I tapped her on the shoulder.

 

“Err, good morning.”

 

It’s a bit awkward, but a greeting should suffice as a reason for tapping her shoulder.

Besides, I usually greet Shimizu-san, so it should not be that strange.

 

“Morning…”

 

Shimizu-san returned the greeting. Fortunately, it looks like it worked out somehow.

 

“Shimizu-san, you dyed your hair black.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Why did you dye it all of a sudden?”

“Ah? Because… yesterday…”

 

Shimizu-san comes at me with a threatening stare.

Shoot, the latter part of her voice was too soft, so I couldn’t hear it. Maybe I probed something personal.

 

“No, I was just a little curious, it’s not like you have to answer it if you don’t want to…”

“You should keep aski——well, whatever. I’m going to sleep, so don’t talk to me.”

“I understand. Good night, Shimizu-san.”

 

And so, my conversation with Shimizu-san came to a temporary end.

 

☆☆☆

 

Today was a turbulent day.

When our homeroom teacher, Yuasa-sensei, arrived in the morning, she was quite shocked to see Shimizu-san, and after a while, she became emotional and started crying.

The other teachers who came for the lessons didn’t say anything directly, but they kept glancing at Shimizu-san, which irritated her, and she glared back at them every time.

Other classmates also spent the whole day whispering and debating the reason why Shimizu-san had dyed her hair black.

 

After school, feeling a bit tired, I was packing up my things to go home early when Toshiya suddenly appeared at my desk.

 

“Daiki, let’s continue our love talk from yesterday.”

 

He didn’t seem to care at all that Shimizu-san was lying on the desk next to us, just like yesterday. This guy’s pretty bold.

 

“I thought we talked enough yesterday.”

“Our youth is far from over.”

 

What is he even talking about?

Maybe he hit his head somewhere?

 

“Do you have any points you like about girls, Daiki?”

“I wonder… Let me think about it for a moment.”

“By the way, I like how Seto-san is kind to everyone.”

 

I didn’t ask, but you really do like Seto-san, huh?

I’m a little envious since I don’t have someone I like.

But what do I like in girls… Ah, I might have thought of something.

 

“A girl who can cook might make my heart skip a beat.”

“Oh, I see. Daiki-kun likes a homely type of girl. Ah, it’s about time. Let’s continue this tomorrow.”

 

Leaving those words behind, Toshiya disappeared from the classroom like a wind.

 

Is Toshiya still keen on talking about love?

Maybe it would be better to save it all for a holiday or when we have time.

That’s what I thought as I slung my backpack over my shoulder and left the classroom.

 

☆☆☆

 

The next day during lunch break, someone suddenly grabbed my arm as I was about to get up to go to the school store.

Startled, I followed the arm that had grabbed me and realized it was Shimizu-san’s.

Our eyes met. What’s going on, did I do something to her?

 

“What’s the matter, Shimizu-san?”

“Hmm.”

 

Shimizu-san let go of my arm and thrust a bento box at me instead.

 

“Is there something wrong with this bento?”

 

Shimizu-san’s brow furrows. It seems I’ve upset Shimizu-san again.

 

“Take this bentō.”

“Yes?”

“I made too much, so I’m giving you this Bentō.”

 

The situation was so sudden that I couldn’t quite catch up.

Why is Shimizu-san giving me a bento?

And doesn’t she usually go to the cafeteria like me?

 

“Oh, thank you.”

 

For now, I’ll receive the bento. I believe in accepting what’s given to me.

When I took it, I noticed that Shimizu-san’s fingers were covered with several band-aids.

 

“How did your fingers get hurt, Shimizu-san?”

 

Shimizu-san made a gesture to hide her hands.

 

“Thi is… an injury I got from a fight yesterday…”

“You don’t get into fights, Shimizu-san. After all, Shimizu-san isn’t really a bad person.”

 

Shimizu-san is known as a delinquent, but I’ve never seen her fight.

I sometimes hear rumors, but I think they’re probably not true.

Shimizu-san certainly breaks school rules and often skips class, but she’s not someone who hurts others.

I know this well after spending over a year in the same class.

 

“…why are you only sharp at times like this… No, forget about these small cuts and just eat already.”

“…Well, if Shimizu-san says she’s fine, then I’m okay with it. I’ll gratefully accept the bento then.”

 

I open the bento box.

Inside, the side dishes are packed tightly, all dyed in shades of brown.

There are a lot of meat dishes, the kind that would seem to be favored by boys in sports clubs.

 

“Let’s eat.”

 

At first, I was intimidated by its appearance and hesitated to eat, but once I tried it, everything was delicious and I finished it in no time.

I turn to Shimizu-san to express my thanks.

 

“Thank you, Shimizu-san. It was delicious. I’ll wash the bento box and return it tomorrow.”

“No need. Just give me the bento box as it is… well, which dish did you like the best?”

 

I wonder, everything was delicious but if I had to say…

 

“I guess it’s the ginger pork. It was seasoned just to my liking.”

“…Got it. Do you have any other favorite dishes?”

“I like tamagoyaki.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll make some for you tomorrow.”

 

Wait what?

Wasn’t today’s bento given to me because it was mistakenly made too much?

 

Well, I’ll happily accept tomorrow’s as well, but I’ll have to think of something to give in return soon.

Lunch break passed as I thought about how to thank her for the bento.

 

After school, feeling unusually full and sleepy from eating, Toshiya appeared as usual.

 

“Toshiya, why didn’t you come during lunch break?”

 

I wondered because Toshiya was always eating with me, but today was the only time he was not in the classroom.

 

“There was a club meeting at lunch today.”

“I see.”

“Sorry for not telling you. So, let’s start today’s love talk.”

 

Again today, this guy never learns that he shouldn’t talk about this while Shimizu-san sleeps next to us.

Well, it’s not like Shimizu-san is going to do anything to us, though.

 

“Today’s topic: what would you do if there was a girl who likes you?”

 

Sounds like the kind of topic a high school boy would fantasize about.

I feel like it’s something every normal boy considers at least once.

 

“What would I do? Even if there was someone, it wouldn’t mean anything if I didn’t know who it was.”

“Well, that’s true. So, let’s change it to this: what would you want to happen if there was a girl who liked you? By the way, I like Seto-san, so if someone other than Seto-san liked me, I’d want them to give up and look for their next love.”

 

This guy is very manly.

Toshiya is the soccer team’s ace and fairly popular, but the fact that he’s devoted to just one girl is kind of amazing.

I won’t say it though, because it might make him cocky.

 

“What I would want… First off all, since I wouldn’t know she likes me, I’d want her to tell me.”

“Then you’d be okay with her?”

“Depends. If I knew her, I’d probably answer on the spot. If not, I’d want to get to know her as a friend first before deciding.”

“So, it depends on the person who confesses…”

“Basically, yes. But I think I’d be really happy just knowing someone likes me, so I might impulsively say yes to a confession——”

 

As I finished saying that, Shimizu-san, who was supposed to be asleep, stood up.

I was surprised, and then I noticed Shimizu-san and Toshiya exchanging glances.

 

“I’m gonna borrow this guy for a bit.”

“Go ahead, good luck.”

 

For some reason, Shimizu-san’s face turned slightly red.

As I remained unable to comprehend the situation, this time our eyes met.

 

“Hey, let’s go.”

“O-okay.”

 

I felt like I shouldn’t refuse.

Looking over at Toshiya, he was giving me a thumbs up.

How does he seem to understand the situation?

I ended up being led out of the classroom by Shimizu-san.

 

A few minutes later, Shimizu-san and I arrived at the rarely-visited backside of the gymnasium.

What was going to happen from here on out?

Honestly, I had no clue. Looking at Shimizu-san, she was taking deep breaths to calm herself.

It makes me wonder, what could possibly make the fearless Shimizu-san so nervous?

 

“Um, are you okay, Shimizu-san?”

“Just wait. I’m trying to gather my thoughts.”

 

It seems she’s still preparing. I wonder what she’s about to do.

After a little while, Shimizu-san turned towards me——

 

“Hey, Hondō.”

“W-What is it?”

“You said you like a neat girl, didn’t you?”

“What? Y-Yes, I did.”

 

A question mark popped in my head, but then I remembered discussing something like this with Toshiya the day before yesterday.

 

“Black hair is so neat, isn’t it?”

“That depends on the perso——Yes.”

 

According to Shimizu-san’s logic, I thought most people at our school would be considered ‘neat’, but I was glared at so fiercely that I just unconsciously agreed.

 

“Hondō, you said you like a girl who can cook, right?”

“Yes.”

 

I remember saying that yesterday.

Shimizu-san seemed to be pretending to be asleep and listening to the conversation between me and Toshiya yesterday.

 

“A girl who can make bentō is so homely, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

 

Upon hearing that, Shimizu-san starts to catch her breath again.

 

“H-Hondō, didn’t you say you like girls who confess their feelings to you?”

“I said that a moment ago.”

“I’m the neat and homely type of girl you like, right?”

 

That’s a very difficult question.

If it had been just a few days ago, I would have definitely answered no, but Shimizu-san has redyed her hair and has been making bentos for me.

Now, I feel like I could barely say yes.

 

“Maybe so.”

“That means you wouldn’t reject me if I confessed to you?”

“What? Shimizu-san, you like me?”

“Ah…”

 

Oh no, I was so surprised that I blurted out what I was thinking.

 

“No, I mean, apart from being in the same class since last year, Shimizu-san and I haven’t really interacted much. I’m genuinely curious about what you could have possibly liked about me…”

“…It’s not like there was any special moment or anything. But, you know, as I kept watching this annoying person who always greets me and starts conversations… before I knew it, I had fallen for you.”

“Shimizu-san, aren’t you too easy?”

“Ugh…”

 

I did it again.

But it’s true that Shimizu-san isn’t really a bad person despite looking and feeling a bit scary.

I thought it was natural for me to greet, talk, and treat her just like anyone else.

 

“So what’s your answer? Hurry up and respond to my confession.”

“Oh? But Shimizu-san, you haven’t confessed to me.”

“…what?”

 

Shimizu-san might not be a bad person, but that doesn’t mean she’s not intimidating.

As proof, Shimizu-san is now giving a cold look that is really terrifying.

Still, I can’t give in to that.

 

“Shimizu-san, you just confirmed whether I would reject your confession. You didn’t actually confess.

“Hey, that’s basically a confession!”

 

Shimizu-san protests.

 

“No, you didn’t confess. I won’t answer unless you confess.”

“…why are you so stubborn only at times like this?”

 

Shimizu-san tries to say something more, but I’ve decided not to listen unless it’s a confession.

Shimizu-san must have realized that because she fell silent.

Silence flowed between the two of us. It was Shimizu-san who broke it.

 

“Daiki Hondō, I like you. Please go out with me!”

 

Almost as if she was shouting, Shimizu-san confessed with her face turning bright red.

I couldn’t help but feel my heart skip a beat.

 

“Yes. I may not be perfect, but if I’m good enough for you, then please take care of me——”

 

As I said this, Shimizu-san leaped towards me.

I managed to catch her and embrace her in my arms.

 

“Now that you’ve already said it, there’s no taking it back.”

“I understand.”

“If you cheat, I’ll split your head open.”

“Understood.”

 

I don’t plan to, but now I definitely won’t cheat.

As I held Shimizu-san tightly, I felt her body temperature rise slightly.

 

——And so, Shimizu-san and I officially became a couple.

 

Later on, I found out that Toshiya and Shimizu-san had been scheming behind my back to find out what type of girls I like…

Well, I ended up with a cute girlfriend, so I guess it’s all good.